Adjustable bracelet for identification purposes



1960 w. w. MOSHER, JR., ETAL 2,954,621

ADJUSTABLE BRACELET FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES Filed April 2, 1959 I... Ea

a Q m M J T N 0 HWGW N iw O U MG A WDH D m 1. www Y A R O B WAD 0 4 3 f0 3 4 4 pr LEN M ADJUSTABLE BRACELET FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES Walter W. Mosher, Jr Burbank, Arthur R. Goldammer,

Glendale, and Donald A. Long, Burbank, CaliL, assignors to Precision Dynamics Corporation, Burbank, Calif a corporation of California Filed Apr. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 809,332

'4 Claims. (CI. 40-21) This invention relates to an adjustable identification bracelet and, more particularly, to an adjustable identification bracelet which is adapted to be utilized in single use applications and which can be disposed of.

Reference is made hereby to copending application, Serial No. 741,828, filed June 13, 1958.

Identification bracelets of the character of that under consideration here areused most frequently in hospitals where they are applied to the wrists of the patients in order that the patient may be properly identifiable at all times. A most frequent application of identification bracelets of the general character of that under disdussion is to the wrists of infants so that they may be iidentifiable at all times during their stay in the hospital.

Since such bracelets must be disposed of after they .have been utilized by one patient, it is of primary importance that they be relatively inexpensive in order that 'the economic burden entailed by their use may not be too great. It is, of course, essential that the bracelet, when once applied to the wrist of a patient, be permanently secured about the wrist until it is severed or otherwise removed in order that the possibility of involuntary or voluntary removal of the bracelet by the patient be avoided.

It is, therefore, an object of our invention to provide an identification bracelet which can be manufactured self-locking fastener which, once it has been engaged upon the detent, cannot be dislodged therefrom so that the only way to remove the bracelet is to sever orotherwise destroy the same.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawing which is for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

, Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the identification bracelet of our invention withthe various component parts thereof disposed in the operative relationship they assume when the bracelet encompasses the wrist of a patient;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the relationship of the various parts of the bracelet prior to the afiixa- 'tion of the same to the wrist of the patient or other wearer;

at relatively low costand which is characterized by the ease with which it may be applied to the wrist of a patient or other individual whom the bracelet is used to identify.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an identification bracelet of the aforementioned character which incorporates an identification tag container which is located at one extremity of the bracelet so that the identification tag container will isolate the identification tag from contamination and possible obliteration during the time the bracelet is disposed on the wrist of a patient.

A further object of our invention is the provision of an identification bracelet which can be mounted upon the wrist of a patient without the necessity for the utilization of any auxiliary tools to fasten the same and which can, nevertheless, not be removed from the patients wrist without cutting, or otherwise severing the bracelet.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an identification bracelet wherein the bracelet has a detent mounted adjacent one extremity adapted to engage the perforations in a perforated strap located at the upper extremity of the bracelet and wherein a foldable tab is provided adjacent said one extremity and incorporates a fastener so that when the foldable tab is folded over said one extremity and a strap engaged upon the detent, the fastener will engage the detent and prevent removal of the strap.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an identification bracelet of the aforementioned character wherein the fastener mounted on the foldable tab is a "Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken on the broken line 33 of Fig. 1 showing the relationship of the various parts of the bracelet when it has been placed upon and encompassses the wrist of a wearer; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of the spring fastener incorporated in the bracelet 'of the invention.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Figs. 1-3 thereof, we show an identification bracelet 10 manufactured in accordance with the teachings of the invention and including an elongated body '12 formed from polyvinyl plastic, or equivalent material. While the bracelet 10 is disclosed as fabricated from polyvinyl plastic, it is, of course, not intended to limit the manufacture of the bracelet to that particular material since it is conceivable that the bracelet could be manufactured from any suitable type of material depending upon the performance characteristics required of the material. However, since polyvinyl plastic can be easily and readily fabricated and is available at a reasonable cost in sheet form of the type utilized in the present invention, we have found its use to be particularly desirable.

The elongated body 12 of the bracelet 10 includes an identification tag container 14 at one extremity thereof and a strap 16 at the other extremity thereof, said strap being perforated to define a plurality of equally spaced openings 18 along the length of the strap.

The identification tag container 14 has a transparent top wall 20, the lateral edges of which are afiixcd to the adjacent edges of the elongated body 12 of the bracelet 10 by a conventional heat sealing process wherein said lateral edges are subjected to heat to cause them to fuse to the adjacent edges of the elongated body -12.

Therefore, a tubular enclosure is provided for an identification tag 22 which bears the name of the person Wearing the bracelet 10 and the name can be read through the transparent top wall 20 of the identification tag container 14.

A vertically oriented detent stud 26 is secured to .the one extremity of the elongated body 12 of the bracelet 10, said stud being secured in operative relationship with said one extremity of the elongated body 12 by means ofa rivet 28 operatively engaging the same. The detent stud 26 constitutes a portion of the fastening means of the bracelet 10 as will be apparent from the description 'of the mode of operation and construction of the bracelet appearing hereinbelow.

It will be noted that the base 30 of the stud 26 is superimposed upon the outer extremity of the top wall 20 of the tag container 14 and thus serves to close off said extremity of said tag container and prevent dislodgement of the identification tag 22 from operative relationship with the tag container 14.

Formed integrally with the elongated body 12 of the Patented Oct. 4, 1960 as bracelet is an axially extendingv foldable tab 32 which is located immediately adjacent the one extremity of the bracelet 10 and whichhasa spring-type fastener 36 mounted thereupon. The spring-type fastener 36 is of annular configuration and includes upper and lower por-- tions: 38 and 40 encompassing the opposite sides of the tab 32 and is provided on the upper portion 38 with a plurality of inwardlydirected spring arms 44' adapted to engage upon a land 46 on the detent stud 26. Asdis-- closed in copending application for the spring-type fastener, Serial No. 747,717,filed July 10, 1958, the spring arms 44 of the upper portion 38 of the spring fastener 36, when they engage the land '46 onthe detent stud 26,

cannot be deleased therefrom and thus the spring fastener 36,, when once engaged upon the stud 26, cannot be released from operative engagement therewith.

- The springfastener 36, in conjunction with the detent stud 26, serves as the fastening means of the bracelet 10 and, as will be described in greater detail hereinbelow, the fastening means as constituted by the stud 26 and the spring fastener 36, when once-mutually engaged, cannot be released.

A transversely extending opening or slot 48 is provided in the bracelet between the axially extending tab 32 having the spring-type fastener 36 mounted therein and the stud 26 operatively associated therewith;

In fabricating the bracelet 10, sheets of polyvinyl acetate film are cut into elongated strips and perforated to provide openings 18 in the strap portions of the strips, the'strips constituting the bodies 12 of the bracelets 10. At thesame time that the openings 18 are formed in the strap portions of the strips, the transverse openings or slits 48 are formed in the opposite extremities of the bodies 12 of the bracelet 10, thus defining the tab 32 on the extreme end of the body 12 adjacent the opening 48. The transparent upper wall 20 of the tag container 14 is then afiixed to the adjacent edges of each of the straps by heat-sealing or cementing the same, said upper wall being located on the body =12 at a point spaced inwardly from the slit or opening 43.

Subsequently, the detent stud 26' is fastened to the body 12 of the bracelet 10 adjacent the tag container 14- while the upper and lower portions 38 and 40 of the spring fastener 36 are then assembled with the axially extending tab on the other side of the slit or opening '48.

-While a preferred'method of assembling the component parts of the bracelet 10 has been described, those skilled in the art may discover other methods of assembling said component parts which may be more suitable for their particular facilities. However, the method described has been found to be quite feasible.

In applying the bracelet 1b to he wrist of a patient, the strap 316 is wrapped about the wrist after an identification tag 22 bearing an appropriate legend or identification has been inserted in the identification tag con tainer 14. The free end of the strap 16 is then inserted through the transverse slit 48 and pulled therethrough until the bracelet 10 fits snugly upon the wrist of the patient;

After the insertion of the strap 16 through the slit 48, the stud 2-6 is inserted through the perforation 18 most closely juxtaposed thereto and the axially extending tab 32 is folded over the stud 26 to permit the stud 26 to be inserted through the spring fastener 36. In this position, as best shown 'in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing, the spring arms 44 of the spring fastener 36 engage the detent land 46 upon the stud 2-6 and the spring fastener 36 thus serves to prevent dislocation of the free end of the strap 16 from operative engagement with the stud 26. Therefore, the bracelet 14} is securely and permanently fastened to the wrist of the patient and cannot be removed therefrom without cutting or otherwise severing the same.

.It. will be noted that after the bracelet 10 has been properly secured on the wrist of the patient in the above described manner, the excess portion of the strap portion 16, indicated by the dash lines 50, can be severed to accomplish a more effective and attractive installation of the bracelet 10 upon the wrist of the patient.

While a particular type of permanently locking type of fastener has been. shown as asssociated with the bracelet 10, it, of course, should be understood'that other types of permanently locking fasteners can be utilized with equal -facility and it is not intended that the application bei lirn ited to the utilization of the particular permanentlylocking fastener shown;

There is thus provided by our invention a bracelet which can. be" easily. and cheaply manufactured and which is characterized. by .the ease with which it can be installed upon the wrist of a patient or other wearer thereof. Also characteristic of the bracelet of our in- 1 vention 'is the provision of a fastener which permanently lyingv relationship with said strap when the free end of. said strap is inserted through said opening; and co-operative fastener means on said tab and said body and on opposite sides of said opening for holding said;tab-

over said strap.

2. In an. identification bracelet, the combination of: an'elongated body having a strap portion at one extremity and a tab portion at the opposite extremity thereof, said body having a transverse openingtherein. between said tab portion and the remainder of said body; and co-operative fastener means on. said tab. and on said body on opposite sides of said opening for holding said tab over-said strap after said strap has been. drawn through said opening and engaged upon a portion ofsaid fastener means.

3. In an identification bracelet, the combinationof; an elongated, flexible body having a strap.at one ex: tremity incorporating a .plurality of openings and. an identification holder at its opposite extremity, there. being a transverse slit formed in the opposite extremity of said body to define an axially extending tab thereupon, a detent member mounted on said body adjacent said holder at one side of said slit; and a fastener mounta ed on said tab on the other side of said slit whereby,

when the free end of said strap is inserted through said slit and has said detent located in one of its openings, said tab can be folded over said strap to engage said fastener on said detent. V

4-. In an identification bracelet, the combination of: an elongated, flexible body having a strap at one extremity incorporating a plurality of openings an-d an identification holder at its other extremity, said body having a fastener mounting tab formed integrally therewith at one of said extremities; a detent memberlocated adjacent said holder; and a fastener on said tab engageable with said detent on said body whereby, when. said strap has said detent located in one of its openings, said fastener can be engaged upon said detent to retain said strap inoperative relationship therewith.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,929,320 Lulham Oct. 3, 1933 2,871,592 Polzin n Feb. 3, 1959 2,893,143 Mosher et a1. July 7, 1959 J ar- 

